We WILL Overcome
by Iridescent Thilbo Bagginshield
Summary: The sequel to Held Captive. Bella, JC, and Tanya are struggling to heal from the wounds of their past. However, JC decides to take certain matters into his own hands after push finally comes to shove one day. As a result, he walks down the path of darkness, leaving a trail of destruction behind him. Can he be stopped before it is too late? More details inside.
1. Deep Depressions in Our Souls

(A/N: Hi there! Welcome to my new story! I was so excited about writing it this, and looking forward to doing so, that I chose to begin it sooner rather than later! lol

As you may know, this is the sequel to Held Captive. I wrote a trailer to this story back on October 18th, so if you want to check it out, you can if you haven't already. It will give you an idea about what is going to happen. But if you don't like spoilers, then by all means, you may begin reading the story.

To those who had read the trailer before, I fixed the grammatical errors and added one or two modifications.

This story is Rated M for mentions of rape and abuse, language, substance abuse, attempted rape, minor character deaths, child psychopathy, unsolved crimes, all other types of mayhem, and eventually lemons. If any or all of that offends or bothers you, please do not read this.

Otherwise, feel free to enjoy the story, and no flames please! Oh, and I do NOT own Twilight.)

**Bella's POV**

I was laying down in the room that belonged to me and Carlisle, gazing unseeingly out of the window. The blanket was drawn up to my neck. My knees were hunched up to my stomach.

It was Thursday morning, January 25th. New Year's Day seemed as if it was a long time ago. A _very_ long time ago. Quite a bit has happened in the last twenty-four days.

First, Mom and Phil had came to visit me on the second. JC had to go to Leah's house until they left in the evenings. Neither of them had any idea that vampires or vampire-hybrids existed and we had to keep it that way. JC felt sad that he was unable to meet his other grandmother and his step-grandfather. Not for a long time, anyhow. But he understood why he couldn't.

"Can you try to get a few updated pictures of them for me?" he had inquired.

"Sure, baby. I can do that," I had replied.

I was so happy to finally see Mom and Phil. The last time I did was seven months prior, before graduation.

When Charlie and Kate brought them to the mansion, Mom practically knocked me over after she ran to me. We cried as we embraced each other.

"I missed you," I groaned.

"Bella, I missed _you_," she returned. "I'm glad that you texted Carlisle when you did. Otherwise, I don't know if you would even be here."

"Me too, Mom."

Not wanting to ruin their visit, I decided not to tell either her or Phil about all of the things that I had been forced to endure when Edward and his friends had kidnapped me right away. It would only make things worse for all three of us.

It wasn't until the day before they would be going home when I told them almost everything. I did not mention anything about JC or the fact that Edward was a vampire. My heart broke to witness their devastation and terror. I wished that I never had to tell them that I had been physically, psychologically, verbally, emotionally, and sexually abused for over two months. They both cried stormily for a good while, and I did also just by watching them.

However, they were proud of me for trying to avenge myself on Edward's friends.

"I don't blame you for doing it. You had had enough," Phil stated.

They were grateful to Carlisle for being here for me too.

"Bella needs you more than ever now. I know that you will be successful in helping her to heal from all of this," Mom told him.

He nodded. "I will do my utmost to do everything that I can for Isabella. You have my word," he vowed.

Mom smiled a little. "I believe you. You have been there for her long before she was kidnapped. Plus, you helped us to find her, even though Bella actually helped us to find her."

We had to laugh at this.

Knowing that I had Carlisle made them feel a little better. Of course, they would always be haunted by what Edward and his friends did to me.

All too soon, it was time for Mom and Phil to return to Jacksonville. I nearly cried, but chose not to. I didn't want to make their departure sadder than it needed to be.

"Please recover as soon as you are able to, honey. You try not to show it, but I know that you are in so much pain. I don't want you to be in this type of pain anymore. It _destroys_ me," Mom whispered as we hugged one another.

"I will do what I can."

Then Phil embraced me. "Take care of yourself, sweetie. Make sure that you talk to Carlisle if you need to."

"You don't have to tell me twice. I already plan on doing just that."

Once they had left, I missed them more than ever. I didn't know when they could visit again, except for when Mom was off for Spring Break.

I didn't have a lot of time to miss them after the following Monday. Carlisle and I had resumed JC's schooling, which kept us occupied. I was relieved for the distraction. It took my mind off of things.

We also had our therapy sessions once or twice a week. So did Tanya. Only she and I had our sessions in private. Everybody left the house, and we had a one-on-one talk. I sat with JC when he had his sessions. Unfortunately, he never felt like speaking, no matter how much Carlisle encouraged him to. He was too upset to talk.

"Bottling up your emotions will only hurt you more," he pointed out.

JC had given no response.

This caused me to worry about him more than ever. I tried to help him, to reach him in some way. However, he had built a wall around himself, one that I couldn't tear down.

My depression came back with a vengeance a few days ago. Since then, I haven't been able to get out of bed unless I had to cook. In fact, I was in so much distress that Carlisle had to take over his schooling.

I haven't eaten much lately; I had no appetite. My stomach was either hurting or I was nauseous. JC didn't appear to have much of one either. That was saying something because he was nearly always hungry.

This explained why I was laying down now. I had fixed breakfast earlier and decided to come back to my room.

As soon as I was under the blanket, I was hit by an onslaught of memories. I curled into a ball as if to protect myself, but they just kept coming. One was of Edward slapping me in the face, then dragging me into the room I had been forced to share with him. The next was of him brutally beating and raping me afterwards. I was sobbing as I pleaded for him to stop.

Tears ran down my cheek. My stomach felt queasier than it had at breakfast. I wished that I didn't have these flashbacks. I wished that I was thinking of something happier instead. Like all of the things that happened on Christmas or New Year's Eve. Or the time that JC had called Daniel a penishead. Now, _that_ was hilarious. But remembering that made me think of Daniel...and those assholes Brad, Jerry, and Victor.

I knew that they were likely suffering in hell for the torment that they put me through. This did little to comfort me, however. All of them, especially Edward, still plagued me even though they had been dead for over a month.

For how long I stayed in my head, I wasn't certain. But the next thing I knew, I heard the door opening.

"Sweetheart?" Carlisle murmured.

I turned to him. I noticed that he was carrying a tray of food.

"Hi," I whispered.

JC appeared behind him. "Hi Mama."

"Hey, baby."

I sat up as he came over to embrace me. Then he moved away to tug my hair gently. "Carlisle told me that you still aren't feeling too good. We decided to bring lunch to you."

A grin spread across my face. "Thank you. It was sweet of you both to do that for me. You didn't have to. I would have made lunch eventually."

Carlisle chuckled. "We know that, Isabella, but I chose to give you a break from cooking." He placed the tray on my lap. "I made Progresso's chicken noodle soup for you. I noticed that you haven't been able to eat heavier foods lately."

"Thank you," I repeated.

**Carlisle's POV**

As I watched Isabella eat her soup, I gazed at her closely. She was thinner and paler than she had been over the last three days. Her face was drawn and there were shadows under her eyes. This was not unexpected; she had trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep. She had begun to have nightmares a couple of days ago..terrible nightmares. So terrible, in fact, that I did not like to mention anything that happened in them. It broke my heart and caused me to grow furious at the same time.

She was not the only one. JC was also having bad dreams, but his had been plaguing him for weeks. He never had them on the same nights that Isabella did as of yet. We encouraged him to tell us about what happened in his nightmares, but he kept refusing to.

I found my comforting either Isabella or JC every night. Isabella would join me if I had to wake up JC if he was in the middle of a bad dream. He would cling to her as he grasped one of my hands. He often wept, but did not at other times. But even if he didn't, JC still preferred for Isabella to hold him. They had a very special bond, those two.

"He always loved me more than Edward since he was born. This was before he had even learned of the abuse," Isabella explained once. "Things may change now because he likes and loves you more than he loved Edward. He told me so."

"Well, I'm happy to know this," I remarked with a laugh. I did feel quite pleased to know that our son loved the both of us equally.

Isabella's therapy sessions were coming along. I have had five with her already. In the first, second, and fifth ones, she talked about what was bothering her. She mostly cried during the third and fourth sessions. All she wanted was for me to hold and love her. I was glad to be there for her however she needed me.

JC was in his own rut too. He appeared to feel less interested in his schooling. Well, maybe not, but he was distracted on some days more than others.

When he wasn't spending time with me or Isabella, the rest of our family, or taking naps, he was pretty much alone. It did not concern me until he began to isolate himself more than usual. JC had also grown quieter, and that was saying something.

"...Not that he never had his quiet moments, you understand. He had them often, but when he didn't, he was nearly always talking and laughing," Isabella told me once.

"He's in a lotta pain. Plus, he has all o' this fear, misery, rage and hatred inside of him. It's no wonder that he doesn't wanna talk," Jasper said to us about three weeks ago.

Because of this, Isabella and I agreed to make him do certain household chores to keep him occupied. We included him in more activities as well. It seemed to take his mind off of things for a bit.

Still, this did not help JC to open up for his therapy sessions. He didn't even allow himself to cry. He only shrugged if I asked him questions, or glared at his boots.

Isabella and JC were not the only ones who were suffering. Tanya was having a very complicated time in dealing with her own troubles. Out of the three of them, it was hard to figure out who was more depressed.

Tanya visited us about once or twice a week because of her own therapy sessions. Now that she and the rest of our Denali cousins had moved to Hoquiam, they were not around as often as they used to be.

Now that my family were permitted to be on Quileute lands, they were allowed to "live" there. My old residence had been built there, but my children and I had to leave it after Jacob Black's great-grandfather Ephraim formed the old treaty with us. It did not take long for my cousins to renovate the old mansion. After that, they bought new furniture and other wants and necessities. They were still going to keep their mansion in Alaska, just in case.

Of course, this meant that unless Tanya called me to ask for a session, I did not see her very often at all. Eleazar, Carmen, Irina, and Kate complained that she would lock herself in her room for hours or days at a time. They practically had to unscrew her door's hinges and _beg_ her to speak to me to make her leave it.

Tanya was not only full of sorrow. She was very, _very_ angry and guilt-ridden. She believed that she was the cause of Isabella and JC's pain and misery.

"I ought to suffer worse than Bella is if I'm not already. I deserve to. What happened to the both of us is my fault in the first place. If I had never agreed to have sex with Edward...if I had managed to convince him not to bring Bella to Scotland...none of this would ever have happened. Besides, this is likely my punishment for having sex with countless men over the years..." she had whispered in her first therapy session.

"_No, _Tanya," I had interrupted her in a quiet, but firm voice. "You know that none of that is true. You know that you didn't deserve to have your limbs torn off by Edward, or to be gang-raped by him and his friends either_._"_  
><em>

Everybody in our family was horribly worried about her, Isabella, and JC. Charlie was beside himself over everything that had happened to his poor daughter.

"If only I were at home that night! Bella would never have been kidnapped, and she wouldn't be going through this! If I knew the words that would turn this all around, I'd say them," Charlie sobbed the other day. Kate was rubbing his back.

I exhaled deeply, relieved that Isabella was upstairs. It would have made her feel worse to see him in this condition. "Yes, that is likely true, unless Edward had a plan to do something to you before taking her from us. As far as knowing the words that would change everything, we all wish that we knew them."

He did not say anything about this. He just melted into Kate's arms.

JC was troubled over how depressed his mother had become. If he was not doing his chores or schoolwork, he would take to peeking at her outside of our bedroom. He would watch her for more than an hour until I asked him to do something.

Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie were also highly upset about what Edward and his friends had done to Isabella. They blamed themselves for not going to Seattle with her. Jacob did too; he wished that he had reconsidered deciding to not accompany her.

None of them agreed with me when I told them that this was not their fault. They did not know that Edward was planning to hurt her.

Leah also worried about Isabella, but her main concern was JC. She fretted over how much he was closing himself off, as well as his rage-filled, distant aloofness.

"I had no clue of how to make things less terrible for him. I hate seeing him like this," she groaned.

"Me too, sweetie. Just keep being there for him. It will help him to recover in the end," I stated.

JC knew that they were imprints by now. He understood what it entailed, and why their bond was strong.

"That explains why we became friends so quickly," he remarked.

Overall, things had gone downhill for us since the week after New Year's. None of us had any idea of how to fix or deal with the situation.

Anyway, back to the present.

Isabella managed to finish her soup. She smiled a little at me and JC.

"Thanks again. It was delicious...and easier for me to swallow," she added hoarsely.

I gave her a brief kiss. "You are very welcome."

JC embraced her tightly. "Do you want or need anything else, Mama?" he queried.

She shook her head. "No, honey. I'm fine. I will let either you or Carlisle know if I change my mind."

"Okay. I'll see you later then, I guess."

"That will be good. I'd like that."

**JC's POV**

I followed Carlisle out of his and Mama's room. At the door, I turned to see her laying back down.

"Do you think she will feel better tomorrow?" I asked him.

He sighed. "I don't know, son. I wish that I could give you a straight answer to your question," he responded. "Let's go...the dishes cannot wash themselves."

We headed downstairs to the kitchen. He put the tray on the counter and gave me the bowl and spoon that Mama used.

I thought of her as I cleaned them. She had been like this for four days, never coming out of the room unless she had to fix our meals. She didn't join Carlisle in giving me my schooling anymore either. I wished that everything would go back to the way it was before. I felt like I hardly ever saw her now. I really missed her.

Carlisle told Grandpa that Mama was suffering from a cute depression. I heard him say so when I was in my own bedroom yesterday. There was _nothing_ _cute_ about her depression to me. Not all all.

Mama had been nice and plump for as long as I could remember. Now she was becoming skinnier. She hasn't really been eating; a lot of foods made her stomach ache. Her face almost looked as pale as the moon did too.

I watched her as she was in her bedroom sometimes. I didn't let her know that I was; it would probably make her upset. Carlisle would find me there and ask me to do something else.

"She is going through a very difficult time right now. Please try not to bother her," he said on Tuesday.

"Fine. But I wasn't _bothering_ her. She doesn't even know that I'm here," I muttered in irritation.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Don't _ever_ use that tone with me, Jacob Carlisle. Do you understand me?"

I felt surprised and nervous because he didn't call me by my full name that much. "Yes, sir. I apologize."

After that, I went downstairs to put on my coat and hat. Then I sat outside in the yard for a bit.

Maybe I was depressed too. It seemed like forever since I had been truly happy. Once New Year's Day had passed, everything changed.

For one thing, I had began to think of Edward more than ever. I kept remembering the times that I had seen or heard him beating up or...or raping Mama. I couldn't stop imagining his friends doing the same thing either.

I had horrible dreams about it almost every night. There were even nightmares in which Edward beat her until he...Forget it. I didn't want to think about it.

I still couldn't believe that they had kidnapped her, or that they hurt her repeatedly for two months. Why would anybody want to do that to Mama? _Mama_! She never deserved it; I knew this for a fact. Mama was kind to everyone, and she was very loving. She was caring, smart, and fun too.

Edward had no right to take her away from Carlisle just because he wished that she was his soul mate. I _hated_ him for that! I hated him for letting his friends join him in torturing Mama too. They were nothing but cruel, selfish animals!

Why didn't he just leave her alone? Why did they have to choose to hurt her? I hoped that they were suffering in hell. I hoped that their punishments included the things that they had done to Mama. They deserved it for all eternity! I bet they wouldn't like the tables being turned on _them_!

Carlisle gave me therapy sessions once or twice a week. I tried to tell him these things during our time together, and about how upset it made me, but I couldn't. I would get a lump in my throat every time I did. Not because I was about to cry, but because I was angry. The lump feel like it was choking me, so I wasn't able to speak.

"JC, you know that you will have to start talking eventually. I would appreciate it if you did," he told me in my last session.

"Yes, sweetheart. Please tell us about what's on your mind," Mama added.

But I couldn't. I just sat there until they gave up.

I heard that Aunt Tanya wasn't doing so good either. I believed it, but since she had moved, I didn't see her or my other aunts and Uncle Eleazar that often.

Truthfully, none of us were happy anymore. My entire family was worried and miserable. Everyone seemed to be crying and whining and bickering over this and that.

Our friends were even concerned for us. Jacob was upset about not being with Mama when she had gone to Seattle before she had been kidnapped by Edward. Leah worried herself crazy over us. Her brother Seth and their mother, Miss Sue, were just as concerned. The rest of the wolf pack and Mr. Billy were too.

Speaking of Leah, she, Mama, and Jacob had finally explained what they meant by me being her imprint. They told me that I was her soul mate. But, since I was only a child, Leah would be more like my sister and best friend for now. She was always going to be my protector, and I would be hers.

This made everything clear. I understood why Leah and I had been close from the second that we met each other. I didn't have a problem with any of it. Leah was always nice to me. We had lots of fun together. We gave each other cards and simple presents. She did whatever she could to make things better for me. I did the same for her.

I hadn't been able to tell her about how I was feeling deep down inside yet, but I think that she knew it already. She would comfort me by holding me if I was in one of my quiet moods.

I wished that I could tell her how much it meant to me. I wished that I could tell Mama and Carlisle same thing when they comforted me after one of my nightmares. Perhaps I will one day.

Sighing tiredly, I came back to earth. I washed the tray that Mama had used before going to the dining room. Carlisle was waiting for me.

"You did an excellent job, son. Please sit down...we have to do your History and French lessons. After that, we will be done," he said.

"Okay. That sounds good," I mumbled.

He frowned in worry. "Is everything all right, JC?"

"Yeah."

"Are you sure?"

I nodded.

He stared at me for a long minute. "Very well, then. Let's begin with your History..."

(A/N: **PLEASE REVIEW/LEAVE A COMMENT!** I hope that you liked this first chapter. Things will pick up in the next chapter. Please stay tuned!)


	2. A Brief Oasis

(A/N: Happy New Year! Sorry that I haven't updated sooner. If I wasn't in college (or working, which I'm not at the moment), this chapter would have finished this two, three weeks ago. I hope that you like the chapter in a sense. For those of you who are reading this for the first time, please feel free to check out the story's trailer to get an understanding of what will happen.)

**Bella's POV**

It was around 3:30 when I finally got up. I needed to make dinner for JC and me.

The house was a little quiet as I made my way downstairs. Rosalie came strolling up the hall when I had gotten to the second floor landing.

"Hi Bella. It's good to see you out of bed. I hardly see you anymore. Are you feeling better?" she queried in concern.

"Yeah, a little...for the moment," I replied.

She pursed her lips in sympathy and embraced me. "Well, I hope that your depression ends soon. It hurts me to see you like this."

A minute later, she backed away. "I'll let you do what you were going to do now. We can talk later?"

"Mm-hmm. That will be good."

She nodded and disappeared.

I entered the kitchen to see that Carlisle was already halfway through fixing dinner. JC was perching on a stool at the island. They turned as I walked in.

"Hey, Mama," JC greeted.

A tiny smile lit up my face. "Hi baby...again. How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay."

"That's good. You didn't have to make dinner, Carlisle. I was about to."

He rubbed my hair. "I know, sweetie, but I want to. You have been very tired over the past few days. I just want to make things easier for you. Why don't you have a seat? The food will be ready soon."

I sat down next to JC. He grinned at me and tugged one of my curls. I patted his back.

Fifteen minutes later, Carlisle was done. He laid two steaming bowls of beef stew in front of us. We thanked him and started to eat.

It was quiet during the whole time. None of us were really in the mood to speak. I caught them watching me in my peripheral vision. They looked as if they thought that I was going to explode or burst into tears.

"What?" I finally demanded, but not unkindly.

"Nothing," both of them responded.

The rest of the next ten minutes passed by in silence. I felt a bit down about it. I remembered when there was no end to the talking at mealtimes.

Once JC and I had finished eating, Carlisle took our empty bowls.

I shook my head as JC left. "No, let me wash them. I haven't done anything since this morning."

"You can tomorrow after breakfast. I think you ought to rest a little more. You look tired," he observed.

"That's because I was laying down for hours," I pointed out. "Please let me?"

"Well...all right. Go ahead, then."

Carlisle gave the bowls and spoons to me. I washed them vigorously, then put them in the cabinet. I headed back up to our room when I was done. He followed me.

After he closed our door, I lowered myself onto the bed, sighing wearily.

He perched next to me and slid an arm around my waist. "Isabella, would you like to have a therapy session? You haven't had one since the day before your depression started. I think that it's high time that you did. I could have everyone leave to give us privacy," he stated.

I mulled it over before nodding. "Yes. I do need one. I'll talk to Leah and ask if she'll have time to watch him. If she can't, then I'll just ask Charlie."

"Sounds good. I will ask everyone else to give us alone time. Be right back."

On that note, I called Leah. She answered her phone after the second ring.

"Hey Bella," she declared.

"Hi Leah. How are you?" I inquired.

"I'm okay, I guess. Are you feeling better today? JC told me that you are going through an acute depression," she responded in a worried tone.

With another sigh, I murmured, "That's a question that's getting old very quick. I wish that I was feeling better."

"Mmmm. I'm sorry that you're going through all of this. I wish there was something that I could do to help."

"Don't be sorry. None of it is your fault. Um, I'm about to have a therapy session with Carlisle. I need someone to look after JC for an hour or two. Are you available, or were you about to do patrols?"

"No, you caught me on a good day. I have nothing to do, really. How soon would you like me to pick JC up?"

"In a few minutes, if you can."

"That's not a problem. I'll be there soon."

"All right. See you."

I hung up and went to look for JC. He turned out to be in his room. I could hear his TV going.

"Come in!" he yelled when I knocked on the door.

He frowned a little as I approached him. "Everything okay, Mama?"

With a nod, I said yes. "Leah's on her way to pick you up, so you need to go downstairs to put your coat on. Carlisle is giving me a therapy session, and we need time by ourselves," I explained.

JC drooped. "I hate this. I hate that you're suffering like this. Carlisle said that it's a cute depression, but I don't understand why. It's not cute at _all_!" he grumbled.

I laughed for the first time in days. It felt wonderful to. "That's not what he meant, sweetie. He said _acute_, not a cute with the "a" separated from cute. Acute means 'sudden'."

"_O_-_Ohh_!" he chortled. "Oops. I guess that I should have asked him to make himself more clear."

"Yeah. Remember to do that the next time something like this happens."

We went downstairs. I noticed Leah strolling up to the porch outside as JC put his coat, hats, and gloves on. He beamed; he was always happy to see her.

Her expression was a combination of dismay, pity, and worry when I opened the door. I knew what she was going to say before she said it.

"Oh, Bella, you look terrible! Not 'you're a mess' terrible," she added, correcting herself. "But 'shadow of your former self' terrible."

I exhaled deeply. "I suppose I do."

Carlisle appeared just then and grinned at her. "Hello, Leah. How are you?"

"Hi Carlisle. I'm doing pretty good."

"Excellent. I hope that you both enjoy yourselves. Make sure that nothing happens to our son."

She snickered. "You know that I won't."

Carlisle and I hugged and kissed JC before he went outside with Leah. We waved to them after she phased into her werewolf form. He returned it with his own and she nodded before racing off into the trees.

Carlisle kissed my temple. "Let's go to the family room, Isabella," he stated.

I nodded. He lifted me into his arms and carried me up the stairs.

After placing me on one of the sofas, he ran his fingers along the strains of hair framing my face.

"There isn't a doubt that you know how worried and concerned I am about you. Every since your depression hit you, you haven't spoken to me about what has been tormenting you. Are there some things that you want to get off of your chest? I'm sure that more than one recollection is causing you a great deal of pain," he noted.

"You're right," I agreed in a hoarse voice. "I don't know what to do. All I can think of is Edward and his friends either beating and/or raping me. It's driving me crazy and making me feel shame, self-disgust, disgust in general, and undesirable. I know that I don't deserve to feel this way, but I do. I feel weak and exhausted from remembering everything that they did to me. That's what I'm always laying in bed. All I desire is a good sleep, but it's not possible. I can't if nightmares keep plaguing me."

Tears slid down my cheeks as I began to cry, but I let them fall. He pulled me into him gently. "On top of everything else I'm afraid that I'll get raped again, or that some guy might try to. Sometimes I still can't believe that Edward wanted to hurt me, or that he would let his friends hurt me just because they would reveal what he was if he didn't. Honestly, I believe that he wanted me to go through that because he didn't want me to feel worthy of you, or myself. I think he wanted me to believe that I deserved their treatment. That in itself is what really hurts me the most."

He nodded. "Unfortunately, you are very likely right about that belief. There is no other reason why Edward chose to do what he did, and to allow his friends to do so as well. I also believe that he did it because he wanted to control you as he used to when you had dated him. After learning that you were not his soul mate, I think that everything seemed out of proportion for him. He likely felt that taking you away from me and hurting and instilling fear in you would regain that control. He obviously didn't care that you are my soul mate, or chose not to, because he didn't want to be alone. You were the first and only woman that he ever loved, and he felt that he had a right to 'own you', as you mentioned that he told you once," he remarked sadly.

"I think that that's true. And it's not just the memories and the fact that Edward wanted to hurt me that's causing me grief. I'm worried about Jacob. Carlisle, he hasn't told us about what is bothering him in any of his therapy sessions once. He doesn't tell us what's happening in his nightmares either. I know that it takes time for a person to tell someone about an issue that troubling them at times because thinking about it is painful and upsetting, but I still wish that he would. I wish he would tell us why he won't...or can't. I hate that he's suffering in silence. I want him to be able to talk to me, you, or the both of us about something that's hurting or disturbing him_._"

"We will speak to Jacob about this later. I know that he must have his reasons besides that it is upsetting and painful, unless those _are_ the only reasons. We will cross that bridge when we get there. After that, we will figure out how to make it easier for him to open up."

"I hope so. He's my baby, and like you, he's my life. I don't want to lose him in any way."

Carlisle rubbed my hair. "I know, love. One of the last things that I ever want is to lose him too. That goes for you and our other children."

I kissed him on the cheek. "You too."

He moved back after a while and gazed intently at me. "Is there anything else that you want to talk about?"

"Yes. Carlisle, I'm sick of going through this depression...and literally and figuratively. I have no idea of what I can do about it. The last thing that I want is to start taking antidepressants. I don't want to ending up being hooked on them, and the possible side effects make me distrustful of them. But I know that I can't just lay there and let it beat on me until it runs its course either. I feel at a lost of what I can do."

"That's quite understandable, sweetheart. I can give you more therapy sessions and see if that helps. You may have them whenever you feel the need to talk to me. We can even find somewhere private to go if you like, especially if you don't feel like asking the kids to leave. I know that you must be feeling cooped up since you have rarely left the house during the entire month."

Nodding, I said, "That's good. I would like to get out more, even if it's just for a little stroll. But what if the additional therapy doesn't work?"

He sighed. "I will try to find another way that might help you to recover. However, there may only be very few alternatives."

"Okay. That's reasonable. I will try having more therapy sessions first. I hope that it works."

"Me too."

**Carlisle's POV**

We talked for a bit longer until I ended our session.

I embraced Isabella, then kissed her on the lips. "Now, let's find something to do together. Just you and me. It's been a while since we had; all of us have been so preoccupied. We can do whatever you like. There is still an hour left before the others come back," I remarked.

She snuggled into me. "I'd love to, but I feel too exhausted and weak to do much," she whispered.

"Mmmmm. Do you want to lay back down?"

"No. I'm tired of that. All I've done nearly every day this week is spend time in bed and remember things that I'd rather forget. That is, if I wasn't cooking. Is there something that we can do that doesn't require moving too much, but a lot of focus?"

"Of course. How about a game?"

"You beat me at most of them. That's not a fair suggestion."

I laughed gently. "Then we shall play one that you and I have an equal chance of winning."

Isabella nodded. "Now, _that_ is a fair suggestion."

Rolling my eyes good-naturedly, I went over to the shelf where the board games were. "What would you like play?"

"Umm...how about _Life_? I haven't played that in a while," she said.

"_Life_ it is," I declared.

I set the game's board on the coffee table in front of us. She waited as I put everything together and stacked the cards.

"What car color would you like?" I asked.

She thought it over. "The red one."

"All right. I will pick the blue car."

We put a peg in the car holes on the top. Isabella's was pink and mine was sky-blue. I chose to start with college, and she chose to begin a career, namely Accountant. That was a smart choice-if I landed on a "Taxes Due" space, I would owe her money.

I spun the wheel after that and it landed on the number 4. Isabella did next. It landed on 9. She would go first.

As we played, I could tell that she was having more fun than she had since last Christmas and New Year's Eve. It filled me with joy to see that was happier than she had been in what felt like eons. All I have ever been wanting was to see her truly smile and laugh as she was now. I could tell that she was feeling better and that this was therapeutic for her. We would definitely play more games together in the future, as well as do other fun or creative activities. This would likely work for JC also, maybe even Tanya.

The game lasted for about three-quarters of an hour. Isabella actually won after we were both stalled at the end of _Life_'s road. I pretended to upset that I lost, but she knew that I was happy for her. I noted with satisfaction her glowing face. It didn't appear as drawn as it had an hour earlier. I knew that it would not look this way in a few hours. Still, it was worth it to know that she was happy, even if only for a short time. Of course, I wish she could be for much longer.

"Why don't we have a rematch? I know that I will crush you this time," I boasted playfully.

"You're on! We'll see about that!" she countered back.

Alice and the others returned fifteen minutes later. I hardly noticed them until they came in the room, their wide eyes directed at Isabella. They were obviously stunned over how enthusiastic she was.

I beamed at them. "Hi. Did you enjoy your hunt?" I inquired.

They nodded without speaking.

"Would any of you like to join us? Isabella and I are really enjoying ourselves. But we can start the game over...we're not that far along, only a third of it."

Emmett and Rosalie volunteered to after they had gotten over their amazement. All of us were just about finished setting the board up again when I heard the front door opening. Another one did, most likely the closet's. Then JC and Leah came up the stairs.

He gaped at Isabella in delighted surprise. She smiled at him and waved.

"Mama! You look better!" he yelled as he ran over to her.

She laughed while embracing him and kissing his cheek. "That because I feel better. I hope it lasts."

"I do too. You know that all I want is you to be happy."

"Yes, baby. I know. And you know that I just want you to be happy too. Speaking of which, Carlisle and I need to talk to you later."

He frowned. "What about?"

"You, and no, you're not in trouble."

"Oh. Okay."

I hugged him next and tickled him. "Hi there, son."

JC roared with laughter. "Hi C-Carlisle...s-stop! I'm getting t-too old to be tickled."

"Not until I say you are. Do you want to play _Life_ with us? What about you, Leah?"

She shrugged. "I guess a game or two wouldn't hurt."

"Yeah, I would like to play!" JC added.

Isabella grinned at her as she sat on the couch opposite us. "Did JC behave himself?"

Leah nodded. "Yes, he was good. We mostly just hung out in my place. He didn't feel like doing anything much."

"Mmm."

Both she and JC picked a vehicle and a career after that, and we started to play.

The room was filled with incessant laughing, complaints, and jeers as game progressed. I couldn't tell who would win because six of us were playing at once. A few of us lagged while the others were more ahead. However, I didn't think about it much. I was too busy noticing how cheerful everybody was. Isabella and JC were not the only ones who had been feeling depressed or sad.

Finally, Emmett won, then Leah, me, JC, Rosalie and Isabella.

Of course, all good things come to an end. Leah eventually had to go back home. She embraced JC and Isabella, then shook my hand. It was the first time she had; she was never comfortable with laying even a fingernail on me or the rest of my children. She had clearly warmed up to me since last month.

I smiled at her. "Thank you for looking after JC and coming over. I'm pleased that you enjoyed yourself."

"You're welcome, Carlisle. I did enjoy myself. I'll be back tomorrow or the day after if it's all right with you?"

"No problem, sweetie. You know that you are always welcome here."

She bobbed her head with a smile of her own before turning and waving to the others. Once she had left, I put the _Life_ game on the shelf.

It was nearly eight o'clock and Isabella and I needed to have our talk with JC before he went to bed. I cringed inwardly at the idea of it. The last thing that I wanted to do was make him return to his depressed, furious state. Of course, I was not the true reason for his near-constant unhappiness.

I tapped Isabella's shoulder. "Do you mind waiting until eight thirty to speak to Jacob?" I asked.

"No, that's fine. Unless you want to do it sooner, maybe at eight fifteen or eight twenty?" she questioned.

"Eight fifteen sounds a little better. It's not too close to his bedtime...not that it isn't close enough."

JC had obviously heard us because he inquired, "If you want to talk to me, why can't we just do it now?"

I gazed him sternly. "Jacob, you know that you are not supposed to eavesdrop in other people's conversations."

"I _wasn't_ eavesdropping, but I couldn't help hearing you. It's not my fault that I have vampire hearing."

"No, it is not, but that does not mean that you have the right to barge into conversations if no one is directly speaking to you. And do not talk back to me."

He turned away. "Sorry, sir."

I pursed my lips and stood up. "Well, since you _are_ ready, we will go up to your room." I turned to Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie. "You can stay here if you want, but you don't have to."

"We don't mind leaving to give you some privacy...again. How long do you think you'll take?" Alice queried.

"Not very long. Isabella and I should be finish in about a half hour, forty minutes at the most. You can check to know when we are done."

She nodded. "All right. See you then."

They left in a flash. I turned to Isabella and JC and waved my hand.

Once we were in his room, I sat on his desk chair. Isabella perched next to him on the bed. I made sure that all of us were comfortable before I spoke.

"How are you, son?"

JC blinked. "I'm fine, I guess. I was happy earlier, but now I'm nervous. Are you sure that I'm not in trouble?"

I inclined my head. "Yes, I am quite sure. Your mother and I just want to speak to you about your previous therapy sessions."

"What about them?"

"You never tell us what's troubling you," Isabella responded this time. "Carlisle and I know that you are in pain often. We know that you are feeling angry, scared and depressed too. Not all of time, but half of it. But you never talk about it when you have your sessions. You never tell us about your nightmares either. Instead, you bottle up your emotions. How come? Are you afraid of worrying or upsetting us? You know that you can tell us anything, don't you?"

He peered at his knees. "Yes, Mama. I know that I can. But it's not that I don't want to. Neither of you have _any_ idea how much I do. I just...I just _can't_."

I leaned forward. "Why not, Jacob?"

Tears pricked his eyes as he looked up. "Because every time I try to, I feel so upset that I can't even speak. It's like the anger is strangling me, and I don't know what to do."

Comprehension dawned inside of me and in Isabella's expression.

"Ahhhhhh. I understand. I do not blame you for feeling that way. You have every right to feel angry, and it is okay to be in your situation. Believe me, it is."

JC did not comment on this. He only bowed his head.

I patted his arm. "What if I told you that I know a technique that might lessen your anger before your sessions? Would you be interested in it?"

He nodded. "Yes...if it can help me."

"We can find out if it will tomorrow or Saturday if you like."

"Maybe tomorrow, after my schooling. That would be good."

"Then tomorrow it will be."

I looked at the clock on his side-table drawer and kissed his hair. "It is time for you to get ready for bed, now. Put on your nightclothes and brush your teeth. We will tuck you in after you are finished," I whispered.

JC did I as told him and came back. Isabella kissed and hugged him tightly once he was laying down.

"Love you, baby," she murmured.

"I love you too, Mama. I love you, Carlisle."

I embraced him. "And I love you, son. Try to relax and get some sleep."

He sighed. "I'll try, but I'm not making any promises."

"Neither of us expect you to make one that you can't keep, honey," Isabella said. "Good night."

"Good night."

She turned off the lamp after giving him one more kiss and we left.

**Bella's POV**

I felt dread mounting inside me as I followed Carlisle to our own bedroom. I wasn't too keen on going to bed either. Even though I was happy for the first time in days hours ago, I knew that it was likely that I could still have nightmares. Just thinking about it made me not want to sleep at all.

Exhaling deeply, I put on my nightgown. Not the one from Edward. I threw that one in the trash for obvious reasons. Alice had bought me a new one on the first Saturday of the year.

"What's the matter, love?" he queried, noticing that I was in a bad mood.

"Nothing. I just wish that I was a vampire at times. Then I'd have no need to sleep," I grumbled.

He made a face. "I hear you. Do you want to take a sleeping pill? There is a box of Unisom in my office."

Giving him a "we've been through this already" stare, I replied, "You know that I prefer not to take any kind of sleeping pills, Carlisle."

"Yes, I do, but it's only for tonight. Besides, you haven't been able to sleep for hours in the last three nights."

"That isn't my fault. How can I if I'm worried about having nightmares every time I go to bed? A sleep aid won't prevent them from coming, so forget it."

Carlisle was taken aback. "There is no need to feel upset, Isabella. I am just trying help you."

I drooped wearily. "I know. All right, I make you a deal. If I can't fall sleep by one o'clock, you can give me the Unisom. But don't expect me to agree on continuing to use them. And I'm sorry for snapping at you."

He waved his hand. "Do not fret over it. I know that you didn't mean to."

We laid down and he pulled me into him. I rested my head on his chest. Being close to him always soothed me. Whenever his arms were around me, I felt protected.

Snuggling into him, I whispered contentedly, "I love you."

I felt him kiss me and rub my back. "I love you more, Isabella. Am I making you cold?"

"No, I'm fine. I'm actually more at peace than I was over the last few days. I'm not expecting the feeling to last, though."

"Try not to be so pessimistic, dear. You may recover sooner than you believe you will."

"I hope so because I'm tired of being depressed. It makes me feel so helpless."

Carlisle tightened his grip on me, but not enough to hurt. "I understand. But you are a strong woman. You will be up and kicking eventually."

"Mmm. How's Tanya? I haven't heard much about her since last week."

He shifted. "From what Carmen had told me on Monday, she's also depressed. They have to find ways to keep her out of her room so that she won't lock herself in, but it's becoming more difficult to. There are only so many things that they would need or want her to do."

I turned to him. "Do you think that I should visit her...and maybe Rosalie? She feels a little better when we talk to her."

"That's an excellent plan. I know that they will be grateful if one of you spoke to her. It's probably what Tanya needs. She hasn't seen much of you or Rose lately. But let's discuss this tomorrow morning. Right now, I think that you should try to get some sleep."

However, sleep became the last thing on my mind right then. Yells and screams erupted from upstairs, interrupting anything that I would have said.

Carlisle and I exchanged glances, then hurried to JC's room. As we did, I prayed that he would be able to tell us about what happened in his nightmare this time.

I prayed so hard.

(A/N: **PLEASE REVIEW!** JC's POV will be the first part of the next chapter! See you soon!)


End file.
